Dr Natasha Kumar

Fields of research: Neurosciences, Animal Neurobiology, Cell Neurochemistry, Autonomic Nervous System, Sensory Systems, Systems Physiology, Animal Physiology - Systems

Contact Details

Phone: +61293851713
Email: natasha.kumar@unsw.edu.au

Supervision

ILP
PHD
Masters
Honours

Tabs

Main

Research:

My lab investigates cellular and physiological mechanisms used by autonomic systems; cardiovascular, respiratory and glucoregulatory. Physiological reflexes (e.g. baroreflex, chemoreflex, glucose counterregulation) function to maintain homeostasis in the healthy state. They are integrated by neuronal circuits in the brain, and their long term and short term patency is continually regulated by genetic and environmental factors. Pathological regulation can form the basis for disease (respiratory disorders, hypertension, diabetes). How do homeostatic systems - which are vital for survival - adapt to changing environmental conditions? How do environmental challenges contribute to neuronal excitability, physiological processes and drug action?

We have expertise in cutting-edge tools and techniques (molecular methods, mouse genetics, imaging techniques, viral mediated gene rescue and knockdown) that are currently revolutionizing neuroscience. We use these skills to interrogate alterations in autonomic systems following physiological/environmental stress and provide avenues for therapy based on molecular understanding of disease processes.

Qualifications: BMedSc (Hons1) USYD, PhD USYD

PhD and Honours projects/topics available include:

TOPIC - Respiratory chemoreception: Inhibitory neuropeptides in respiratory chemoreceptors: what is their contribution to ventilatory behaviour? How is this role altered during chronic respiratory/environmental stress (e.g. sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, apnea of prematurity).

Project 1: This project will investigate human infant brain chemoreceptor populations. The effects of acute versus chronic intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia on protein expression in these chemoreceptor populations will be determined. Finally, protein expression changes in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), compared to control infants will be investigated.

Project 2: Does chronic hypercapnia exposure cause neuroinflammation? Implications for sleep apnea and apnea of prematurity

Project 3: Does chronic hypercapnia exposure alter neuropeptide protein expression in brain respiratory chemoreceptor populations? Implications for sleep apnea

TOPIC - Glucose counterregulation: Nearly all sympathetic preganglionic neurons that are activated by hypoglycaemia, to execute adrenalin release via adrenal chromaffin cells, are enkephalinergic. In human studies, the similarities between hypoglycemia associated autonomic failure (HAAF) and exercise associated autonomic failure (EAAF) suggest that they share a common pathophysiology. How do endogenous opioid neuropeptides regulate the glucose countergulatory response to hypoglycemia? How is deterioration in the response to hypoglycemia seen in Type 1 diabetic patients also induced by exercise?

Teaching: Contributions to pharmacology teaching for both science and medical students. Particular areas of expertise are autonomic neuroscience, animal behaviour and cardiorespiratory physiology.

Society Memberships & Professional Activities: Society for Neuroscience, American Physiological Society, Australasian Neuroscience Society, Franklin Women.

University role:

Senior Lecturer

Grants:

2018-2020 NN Kumar, J Power, S McMullan, SBG Abbott. Australian Research Council Discovery Project grant. Adaptation of respiratory chemoreception: role of inhibitory neuropeptides. $400,000
2018-2019 NN Kumar Rebecca Cooper Foundation project grant $100,000
2020-2021 NN Kumar NHMRC (65%) and UNSW Medicine/MWAC RIS (35%) infrastructure project grant. Zeiss microscope, ApoTome and MicroBrightfield software- fully integrated system $377,566

Research

Socio-economic Objective (SEO) tags:

Nervous System and Disorders

Expanding Knowledge in the Medical and Health Sciences

Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences

Teaching & Supervision

I am available to supervise:

Yes

Areas of supervision:

Please contact DR NATASHA KUMAR about ILP, HONOURS, Masters and PhD projects.

Currently supervising:

PhD students:

2016 - 2020 Ayse Dereli (The role of galanin in long term adaptation of respiratory chemoreception)

2018 - Latifa Bulbul (The role of neuropeptide co-release and co-signalling on the respiratory chemoreflex)

2020 - Yazhou (Susanne) Liu (Investigation of chemoreceptors in post-mortem brain tissue from patients with respiratory disorders)

Honours students:

2020 - Emma O'Rourke

2020 - June Sun

2018 Zarwa Yaseen (1st Class Honours awarded)

2018 Alex Ruhoff (Honours - co-supervision with Dr Nicole Jones)

2018 Josh Dunn (Honours co-supervision with Dr Nicole Jones)

2017 Felicity Duong (Honours - co-supervision with A/Prof Pascal Carrive)

2017 Giuliana Connor (Honours- co-supervision with Dr Nicole Jones)

2017 Meghety Zaitounian (Honours- co-supervision with Dr Nicole Jones)

ILP students:

2019: Erin Wright (ILP mark ranked 2nd out of Medicine cohort)

2019: Fasya Fazlan

Supervision keywords:

respiratory control

autonomic nervous system

in situ hybridisation

genetically modified

immunohistochemistry

gene expression profiling

respiratory physiology

cardiovascular diseases

respiratory disease

fluorescence microscopy

Teaching:

Undergraduate teaching

Dr Natasha Kumar completed the Foundations of University Learning and Teaching (FULT) Program in 2016.

Dr Natasha Kumar is Honours convenor for the School of Medical Sciences (Neuroscience specialisation).

Other contributions include pharmacology and neurosciences teaching for both science and medical students at UNSW. Particular areas of expertise are autonomic neuroscience, animal behaviour and cardiorespiratory physiology. I have contributed teaching to the following courses: PHAR3101 (co-convenor), PHAR3102, PHAR3251, PHAR3202 (co-convenor), NEUR2201, NEUR3211, SOMS4001, NEUR4401, SOMS3001, PHAR3306 (convenor), Neuroscience Honours (convenor).

Publications related to this Person

Book Chapters

Kumar NN; Bowman BR; Goodchild AK, 2012, 'Combined in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in rat brain tissue using digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe', in Badoer E (ed.), Visualization Techniques. Neuromethods, Humana Press, pp. 31 - 52, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-897-9_2

Journal articles

Le S; Turner AJ; Parker LM; Burke PG; Kumar NN; Goodchild AK; McMullan S, 2016, 'Somatostatin 2a receptors are not expressed on functionally identified respiratory neurons in the ventral respiratory column of the rat', Journal of Comparative Neurology, vol. 524, pp. 1384 - 1398, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cne.23912

Guyenet PG; Bayliss DA; Stornetta RL; Ludwig MG; Kumar NN; Shi Y; Burke PGR; Kanbar R; Basting TM; Holloway BB; Wenker IC, 2016, 'Proton detection and breathing regulation by the retrotrapezoid nucleus', Journal of Physiology, vol. 594, pp. 1529 - 1551, http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/JP271480

Kumar NN; Velic A; Soliz J; Shi Y; Li K; Wang S; Weaver JL; Sen J; Abbott SBG; Lazarenko RM; Ludwig MG; Perez-Reyes E; Mohebbi N; Bettoni C; Gassmann M; Suply T; Seuwen K; Guyenet PG; Wagner CA; Bayliss DA, 2015, 'Regulation of breathing by CO2 requires the proton-activated receptor GPR4 in retrotrapezoid nucleus neurons', Science, vol. 348, pp. 1255 - 1260, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aaa0922

Parker LM; Kumar NN; Lonergan T; McMullan S; Goodchild AK, 2015, 'Distribution and neurochemical characterization of neurons in the rat ventrolateral medulla activated by glucoprivation', Brain Structure and Function, vol. 220, pp. 117 - 134, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00429-013-0642-3

Wang S; Benamer N; Zanella S; Kumar NN; Shi Y; Bévengut M; Penton D; Guyenet PG; Lesage F; Gestreau C; Barhanin J; Bayliss DA, 2013, 'TASK-2 channels contribute to pH sensitivity of retrotrapezoid nucleus chemoreceptor neurons', Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 33, pp. 16033 - 16044, http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2451-13.2013

Parker LM; Kumar NN; Lonergan T; Goodchild AK, 2013, 'Neurochemical codes of sympathetic preganglionic neurons activated by glucoprivation', Journal of Comparative Neurology, vol. 521, pp. 2703 - 2718, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cne.23310

Turner A; Kumar N; Farnham M; Lung M; Pilowsky P; Mcmullan S, 2013, 'Rostroventrolateral medulla neurons with commissural projections provide input to sympathetic premotor neurons: Anatomical And Functional Evidence', European Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 38, pp. 2504 - 2515, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ejn.12232

Zhou C; Douglas JE; Kumar NN; Shu S; Bayliss DA; Chen X, 2013, 'Forebrain HCN1 channels contribute to hypnotic actions of ketamine', Anesthesiology, vol. 118, pp. 785 - 795, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0b013e318287b7c8

Pardey MC; Kumar NN; Goodchild AK; Cornish JL, 2013, 'Catecholamine receptors differentially mediate impulsive choice in the medial prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex', Journal of Psychopharmacology, vol. 27, pp. 203 - 212, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269881112465497

Bowman BR; Kumar NN; Hassan SF; McMullan S; Goodchild AK, 2013, 'Brain sources of inhibitory input to the rat rostral ventrolateral medulla', Journal of Comparative Neurology, vol. 521, pp. 213 - 232, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cne.23175

Parker LM; Tallapragada VJ; Kumar NN; Goodchild AK, 2012, 'Distribution and localisation of Gα proteins in the rostral ventrolateral medulla of normotensive and hypertensive rats: Focus on catecholaminergic neurons', Neuroscience, vol. 218, pp. 20 - 34, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.05.037

Pardey MC; Kumar NN; Goodchild AK; Clemens KJ; Homewood J; Cornish JL, 2012, 'Long-term effects of chronic oral ritalin administration on cognitive and neural development in adolescent Wistar Kyoto rats', Brain Sciences, vol. 2, pp. 375 - 404, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/brainsci2030375

Kumar NN; Allen K; Parker L; Damanhuri H; Goodchild AK, 2010, 'Neuropeptide coding of sympathetic preganglionic neurons; focus on adrenally projecting populations', Neuroscience, vol. 170, pp. 789 - 799, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.07.047

Kumar NN; Goodchild AK, 2009, 'Identification and distribution of inositol trisphosphate receptor subtypes in catecholaminergic cell groups in rat brainstem and midbrain', FASEB JOURNAL, vol. 23, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000208621502032&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

Kumar NN; Ferguson J; Padley JR; Pilowsky PM; Goodchild AK, 2009, 'Differential muscarinic receptor gene expression levels in the ventral medulla of spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar - Kyoto rats: Role in sympathetic baroreflex function', Journal of Hypertension, vol. 27, pp. 1001 - 1008, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0b013e3283282e5c

Padley JR; Kumar NN; Li Q; Nguyen TBV; Pilowsky PM; Goodchild AK, 2007, 'Central command regulation of circulatory function mediated by descending pontine cholinergic inputs to sympathoexcitatory rostral ventrolateral medulla neurons', Circulation Research, vol. 100, pp. 284 - 291, http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/01.RES.0000257370.63694.73

Kumar NN; Goodchild AK; Li Q; Pilowsky PM, 2006, 'An aldosterone-related system in the ventrolateral medulla oblongata of spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats', Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, vol. 33, pp. 71 - 75, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1681.2006.04326.x

Speirs HJL; Katyk K; Kumar NN; Benjafield AV; Wang WYS; Morris BJ, 2004, 'Association of G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 4 haplotypes, but not HSD3B1 or PTP1B polymorphisms, with essential hypertension', Journal of Hypertension, vol. 22, pp. 931 - 936, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004872-200405000-00014

Kumar N; Benjafield AV; Lin RCY; Wang WYS; Stowasser M; Morris BJ, 2003, 'Haplotype analysis of aldosterone synthase gene (CYP11B2) polymorphisms shows association with essential hypertension', Journal of Hypertension, vol. 21, pp. 1331 - 1337, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004872-200307000-00022

Conference Papers

Kumar NN; Allen K; Damanhuri H; Parker L; Goodchild AK, 2009, 'NEUROPEPTIDE CODING OF ADRENALLY PROJECTING SYMPATHETIC PREGANGLIONIC NEURONS', in HYPERTENSION, LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, Sydney, AUSTRALIA, pp. 1499 - 1499, presented at 31st Annual Scientific Meeting of the High-Blood-Pressure-Research-Council-of-Australia, Sydney, AUSTRALIA, 01 December 2009 - 03 December 2009, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000277848100065&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

Bowman BR; Kumar NN; Goodchild AK, 2008, 'ADENYLATE CYCLASE ISOFORM mRNA EXPRESSION WITHIN THE ROSTRAL VENTROLATERAL MEDULLA IN SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS', in HYPERTENSION, LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA, pp. 1102 - 1103, presented at 30th Annual Scientific Meeting of the High-Blood-Pressure-Research-Council-of-Australia, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA, 03 December 2008 - 05 December 2008, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000266239300055&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

Kumar NN; Goodchild AK, 2008, 'IDENTIFICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF INOSITOL TRISPHOSPHATE RECEPTOR ISOFORMS IN CATECHOLAMINERGIC CELL GROUPS IN RAT BRAINSTEM', in HYPERTENSION, LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA, pp. 1110 - 1110, presented at 30th Annual Scientific Meeting of the High-Blood-Pressure-Research-Council-of-Australia, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA, 03 December 2008 - 05 December 2008, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000266239300094&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1

Pilowsky PM; Abbott SB; Burke PGR; Farnham MMJ; Hildreth CM; Kumar NN; Li Q; Lonergan T; McMullan S; Spirovski D; Goodchild AK, 2008, 'Metabotropic neurotransmission and integration of sympathetic nerve activity by the rostral ventrolateral medulla in the rat', in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, pp. 508 - 511, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1681.2008.04906.x

Kumar NN; Li Q; Goodchild AK; Pilowsky PM, 2004, 'Differential gene expression of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-nitric oxide components in the rat brainstem: SHR vs WKY', in CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, BLACKWELL PUBLISHING ASIA, Glasgow, SCOTLAND, pp. A15 - A15, presented at 30th International Geographical Congress 2004, Glasgow, SCOTLAND, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000222184200059&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1